The Only Choice
by Layla Nightshade
Summary: Robin is trying to destroy his own enemy while trying to keep his own friends safe. Suddenly, he has to leave his friends and act like he hates them. While trying to locate Robin, Raven meets an interesting human named Layla. R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Raven got up from her meditating stance. She had been meditating for an extra hour each day. She had woken up one morning, feeling conflicting emotions coming from someone in the tour.

She could catch strains of anger, helplessness, sadness, and love. At the time, she hadn't cared about who the emotions were emanating from, due to the effects it was having on her and

her self-control. She couldn't really worry about who was feeling the strong emotions when she was in danger of destroying the tower. And besides, whoever was overrun by emotions

always seemed to be fine in the morning. All the titans seemed to be normal when she came down to breakfast. Suddenly Raven heard something crashing into the ceiling below. _Well, that_

_ doesn't sound right_, she thought calmly as she ran downstairs. She stopped at the breakfast nook and nearly fainted.

Robin and Starfire were attacking each other with such ferocity that the room looked like cyclone had been through it. They hadn't noticed Raven come in. She quickly came to her senses

and lifted Robin and Starfire away from each other. She held them in the air for a moment, then reluctantly threw Robin against the wall, knocking him unconscious. She saw Starfire open

her mouth to explain, but Raven raised her hand, motioning for her to be silent. She lifted six metal tables and barricaded Robin inside a cube.

"You can talk now."

"Robin....just came in.....and attacked....me."

Raven could see she was still shaken by the experience. But she still needed to know what was going on.

"Anything else important?"

"He seemed to be reluctant at first, like he was forced against his will to attack me. But.....after a while he was attacking me like I was...some villainous creature that tried to harm him."

"Star, you can eat breakfast now, if you haven't. Calm down, we'll figure out what happened. I just don't understand...." _What was going on?_

"I have eaten."

Raven looked inside the kitchen and found no evidence that food had been prepared today.

"No, you haven't."

"I do not require nourishment. Today's events have stolen my appetite." Raven could see that she couldn't convince her to eat. _Time to try a different approach._

"Would you like to go to your room?"

"F-fine." Starfire was almost about to cry. Raven decided to go to Starfire's room with her. She teleported herself back downstairs to the breakfast nook.

The metal tables were pushed over, and Robin was gone. A window was broken, and his communicator was on the floor.

_Something is seriously wrong._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Raven calmly stood up and tried to figure out where Robin had gone. She had no idea what was going on at all. It seemed like Robin had been replaced by an evil twin. _Stop being childish. _

_That isn't possible. _She decided to send out an astral projection to figure out where he was.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

She had only been in his mind for a fraction of a second when she was punched in the face. She doubled over in her own body. All she had gotten was that he was on a building somewhere.

She tried again, only this time she sent the projection into a bird flying not so far from Robin. Whatever had been going on was over. Robin was laying on the rooftop of a building Raven

recognized. Nobody else was around the building. Raven's projection returned to her body and she mentally jumped (though she appeared calm on the outside) as a voice said, "So, where is

he? Is he unharmed?"

She should have known Starfire wasn't the type to just sit in her room and cry.

"Not really." Starfire crossed her arms.

"Well, what are we going to do? Are you going to let me go after him or...."

"No. I'm sorry, but I don't think it's safe for you. Let's just wait, okay? And check on Cyborg and Beast Boy, think Beast Boy's got allergies again........."

Starfire giggled. "Well, that was a most unnatural and amusing event last time." She walked out the door.

Raven looked at the clock. She had 15 minutes to get ready for school. She hated school. The only reason she went was because it was much easier to keep an eye on recent events. The

school was 20 minutes away, by driving, from nearly everything in the city. If anything happened, she could skip class pretty easily. Being the mature, smart person she was, Raven could

handle missing a little school once in a while. And 'saving the city' as Beast Boy put it, was undoubtedly more important anyway. _Especially in my case, _she thought angrily. Or as angry as

she could get.

A girl by the name of Layla was trying to concentrate on her math lesson. Instead, she was hearing whispers from boys in the back of the class that nobody else but them and her could

hear. She had very acute hearing for some reason.

"I'm going to pull my switch on you!" The boy pulled out a comb and pretended it was a pocketknife.

"And then this will go in your face, hood!" Layla flinched. She knew they were playing, pretending. Her class thought gangsters were cool. It angered her. _They don't know what they're _

_talking about, what they're promoting... _Suddenly she felt herself losing control. She felt like she was going to lecture them about the subject, tell them about the victims she knew. Reveal

all of her life she tried to keep secret. She slammed her book down and ran just as the bell rang. The others were walking slowly to the door. One boy, however, separated himself from

group and ran after Layla. _Oh NO, not this idiot! Well.....guess i should let him catch up. If I escape from him, he'll spread some weird gossip about me..._ She stopped running. He ran in front of

her and turned around to face her, acting quite dramatic. Layla was amused. _Someone has been watching too many weird movies...he doesn't know what it's really like to be a spy._

"Why are you running?"

"I can do what I want. Being a year older than me doesn't give you authority over me. And you don't act like it, anyway." Layla didn't usually hurl insults at people like him, but today they

had upset her. Seeing that Layla was not intimidated, he tried a different approach.

"Please tell me what's bothering you." Layla hated how Trevor found acting like he liked girls funny. When they thought he really liked them and swooned over him. He and his friends

found it funny. Layla felt herself getting angrier and she yelled at him.

"My secrets are not for public display! Get out!" He took a step towards her.

"Secrets, hmm?" Suddenly a girl wearing a very long sweater came towards them. Or really, it seemed like a cape with arms and a hood to Layla.

"Leave her alone." The girl said in a monotone voice. Trevor found it creepy. He ran down the hall. Layla didn't find it creepy. The girl seemed dark_. She has secrets, too._

The girl walked over to Layla.

"Why aren't you going to eat lunch?" Layla asked her.

_You're sharp, _thought Raven. She was silent for a minute.

"You're going to the library, aren't you?" Raven was shocked. How did this girl know?

"Yes, I am. How did you know that?"

"Well, you look like the type of person who reads a lot. Like me. And you're not going to the cafeteria to eat, like the rest of this oblivious school."

"I'm Rachel."

"I'm Layla. You're in high school, aren't you?" This was a school for kids from 1st through 11th grade.

"Yes I am. And what grade are you in?" By this time Raven would have made the girl leave, but she seemed of interest. And Layla was seething in anger Raven had barely felt in average

teenagers. She seemed different. _Like me._

"I'm in 7th grade." Raven was surprised, but she sure didn't show it.

"I'm tall for my age," She added. _Wow. Not even a teenager yet. And how did she know I was surprised? _The girl seemed to be more and more intriguing by the minute. Suddenly Raven felt

the girl getting very, very angry. More angry than Raven had ever felt anyone being. She was going to lose control of her powers if this continued.

"I'm sorry. I just got really angry today. My class seems to think violence is cool, and.." She broke off, aware she was rambling.

"How did you..?" Raven was halfway considering asking her if she had some type of mind-reading power.

"I just know these things. And I know your name isn't Rachel." Raven could feel her anger subsiding, or rather being pushed away. Now Layla was slightly amused.

"And you know _that_ how?"

"Um, I've seen you guys fighting that weird guy. Think his name is Plasmus? If it is, it fits his outer structure.."

"What? You're supposed to run away when a ick monster is about to kill you!"

"I knew I was safe. You always send your projections into him and win. And besides, it's really a once in a lifetime opportunity to see you guys fight. I wasn't just going to run to go tell

everyone gossip about you guys. And they didn't call you Rachel. They called you Raven. And I don't know why, but you have to control your emotions. Just as I do."

"You do? Why?" _This Layla is quite interesting._

"I am partially trained in martial arts. My temper flares quickly. I could attack people when they get me mad. And I can't think very straight when I get really mad."

"And how do you know all this other stuff about me?"

"Well, I use my brain. And I guess you could say I have a small ability of clairvoyance. Really, its all brainpower. I'm a human." Raven smiled at her.

"Well, you're really smart. Would you like to--" She broke off as she sensed panic in her feelings.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to black out. You know,--just see--spots--in front of my--eyes. It'll be over soon." Raven waited. Soon, Layla's fear was gone.

"Do you know why you do that?"

"When I feel really angry, that happens sometimes too. And it happened when you came and when you were battling Plasmus. One of the many weird things about me. I'm not average."

"I'm not either."

"I'm proud of not being average. It seems boring. Very boring."

"It seems like you can sense dark magic. Perhaps it is intuition. I think you see things in ways others don't." They had reached the library.

"Well, we have 15 minutes. What book would you like? Just curious."

"Kiki Strike. Either one."

"We have the first one here. I see being a 'mere human' isn't going to stop you from defending yourself."

"Sure isn't. And being 12 years old isn't either."

Raven smiled. For the first time ever, it seemed like she had met someone who understood her.

Well, I'm done for the day and I need reviews! this is my first story and i have no idea how good im doing. Appreciation or constructive criticism would be enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

Raven needed a plan. She had sent Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire to look for Robin. Now she had met Layla, and she wanted to introduce her to the team..........or what was left of it

anyway. Raven had also asked Layla about what skills she had, because it had been obvious that Layla was no helpless human. She had some skill in martial arts, a knowledge of poisonous

plants, and was learning advanced decrypting. She had also introduced Raven to origami, which Raven had found was a good way to distract herself and maintain her composure. And she

could meditate, although she couldn't levitate herself.

The bell rang. School was over. Raven went to the deserted back lawns and meditated. She made mental contact with Layla, just as she was leaving.

_Layla, sorry for the short notice, but could you and your parents come over to the tower? I can give you guys directions._

_Wait. Let me ask my mom. _There was a small pause when Layla asked her mom if she could go to the titans' tower.

_Yeah I can. Can you give my mom the directions? I'm really bad with directions, can't remember roads and stuff._

Raven was slightly amused. _Yeah, sure. Interesting how neither of you two freaked out at the mind contact._

_Well, it's not like I didn't know about that already. And being calm all the time 'runs in the family.'  
_

20 minutes later, Layla's car pulled up next to the tower. Raven had checked on her communicator. All the titans were at the tower. Raven had told them a little of what was happening.

"Well, this is Layla. Um, could you guys introduce yourselves?"

"I am delighted to make your acquaintance, friendly human!! I am Starfire!"

"I'm Beast Boy. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Cyborg."

"Wait. One of you is missing. Your leader, the human wearing the mask?" The team winced.

"Um, we're facing complications with him...." Cyborg trailed off as the alarm went off inside the tower.

"Sorry to have the meeting cut off, but we have to go!" Layla and her mom both stayed at the tower. Layla was staying because she felt something was wrong and she wanted to look

around the tower. Layla's mom was staying because she had some Arabic to study and the tower's library had a lot of the books her class was using. And she knew a bit about the titans

too and thought it was a good idea for Layla to explore the tower. Knowledge always came in handy in her book.

Layla was in the control room, which had a map of each titan's position in the city. Besides Robin. It seemed to Layla that Robin had ran away on purpose and made sure he wouldn't

appear on the map. Layla looked at the map again and saw the location of Robin's communicator. It was in the breakfast nook. She was studying some of the gadgets when an alarm

went off, louder than the one that had went off before. Her mom looked up from the book and looked out the window.

"It's this man with a mask. He looks like a robot but...I don't think he is one."

"Mom, go into one of the rooms and lock the door!"

"And you are going to do what?!"

"He's not interested in me. I'm not a titan. I'm going to try to contact the titans. They don't know what's going on over here."

"Don't get hu---" Layla's mom was cut off as Layla shoved her into Raven's room.

Slade came into the tower.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors note: Dedicated to QueenOfWeird1995, dragonstar07, Moving Mountains and Summer!

The titans were fighting a losing battle. This was because they weren't fighting an ordinary villain.

They were fighting Robin. Their leader, their teacher, and their friend. Raven wasn't so sure about the last part. He sure wasn't acting like a friend. But still, none of the titans could fight him.

_Especially not Starfire. She can't get angry at Robin, nor can she feel joy when he is attacking her. But she is barely hovering.......what's up with that? _Suddenly Raven saw why she was happy, if

only a little happy. _She's happy to see him again. Even with all this fighting us, he's still Robin to her. _

Robin was about to defeat Beast Boy yet again. Raven lifted him and sadly threw him against a building, as she had done a few minutes ago. And, as Robin had surprised them a few

minutes ago, he did it again. He didn't go unconscious, simply flipped in the air, landed on the ground, and charged at Cyborg. Cyborg tried to blast him with his cannon, but Robin flipped out

of the way. Then he changed tactic and charged at Starfire. She stood shocked and he punched her. She landed 20 feet away.

"Stafire! I told you to STAY AWAY!" Raven sighed. They were going to lose. She knew it. And as she thought that, Robin attacked Beast Boy again. Raven lifted him and was going to throw

him against a building as she had before, but Robin took advantage of her moment of hesitation and flipped over when her telekinetic hold was on him. Raven was taken by surprise and

hurled against a building. She was angry at herself as she realized Cinderblock had tried that trick on her before. She levitated into the air and saw that Robin had defeated all the other

titans. _Wait, something's wrong. Where's Starfire?_


	5. Chapter 5

Layla stopped at the stair railing and looked down to 2 floors below. Slade was walking around. It seemed like he was looking for something. _Layla vaguely remembered where the _

_communicator was. She was going to get it and contact the titans. _Layla wasn't going to stop Slade by herself. Or that wasn't the original plan. But then Layla saw where he was going. _That _

_isn't the.....self defense system..? Wait, shouldn't it have been activated when he came in? _She didn't have time to take the elevator now. That...guy was going to activate the system and no

doubt desstroy the city, or whatever he planned to do with it.

She was going to have to jump. She remembered doing that at her house. Jumping a floor down instead of using the staircase. After a few tries, she had learned how to do it without

hurting her feet. She sighed. _Here goes nothing, _she thought as she ran into the bathroom, grabbed a shower curtain rail, and jumped from the staircase.

She landed right in front of Slade.

"Who are you?!" They both blurted out at the same time. Then Slade gave her a creepy smile.

"I see you don't know me either. I am Slade. I have control of Robin. He deactivated the system when he left the tower this morning. After attacking his _friend, _I may add. He has given me

the code and so I will activate the system, and you will watch your city being destructed before your very eyes."

"You're going to need to get past me first. Ahem." Layla was not considering using her manners with this...Slade person.

Upstairs, Layla's mom unlocked the door and slipped out. She wasn't just going to sit around and pray for her daughter just because she had been put in a room for her own safety. She

found an explosive disk, left by Robin on the floor in his room, and took the elevator down to the main room.

"Defeating you will not prove to be very hard. You are not very old, though you look like it."

"Congrats. First person to figure out I'm not as old as I look."

"And I see you are witty too....never mind that." With that, he charged at Layla. She remembered sword fighting with her friends for fun and blocked him. She attacked him and avoided

punches. _Remember. You aren't trying to defeat him. If he took Robin, he will very easily beat you. You are distracting him. _Layla was instructing herself in third person. It helped her. She

should know. She had taught herself many things.

Layla's mom arrived out of the elevator. She saw that guy, whatever-was-his-name, oh right, _Slade, _attacking her daughter and on what her family called 'maternal reflex' threw the

explosive disk at Slade as he jumped in the air to attemp to land on Layla and crush her.

Layla's mom always played catch, dodgeball, and basketball with her family. Her aim was true, and the disk hit Slade and sent him 10 feet into the kitchen. Layla knew he was still

conscious. _Of course he would be, he's wearing that terrible metal suit thing. _She ran into the kitchen after shouting "Yeah, Mom!!" and picked up Robin's communicator. She contacted Raven.

"Uh hi Raven, we just got barged in by this guy who calls himself Slade, could you---"

"SLADE?! Why are you not dead yet?"

Layla giggled. "He's barely conscious at the moment, but we can't hold him off when he gets back up, get here RIGHT now, please."

"Interesting. I will be right there. Love to hear the story, by the way."

Raven shouted at Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Hey, I need to leave right now, find Starfire, and don't come back until you do!! Got it?!" Without hearing the response, she teleported herself into the tower.


	6. Chapter 6

Starfire faced Robin and screamed at him.

"What is hapeening to you? Where is the real Robin?"

"This is the real Robin, Starfire." Unable to act like he hated her any longer, he sadly attacked her. Again, Starfire made no effort to move when he punched her, but instead of flying

backwards, she spiraled up into the air. _She's flying? Impossible....has she really already let go of me? How else could she be happy? _Robin was now considering telling her what was really going

on.

_I can't. She will get hurt if I tell her. _Then a voice in his head, not his own, screamed at him.

_Attack her! Now!! _He screamed back at it.

_No! I will not!_

"Starfire! Run! I don't want to have to attack you!"

"Can you not tell me what is going on? Are you still the good Robin I know?"

"No, I cannot tell you what is going on, and I'm.......not sure if I'm good anymore. Please! Go!"

"Fine, but.....Robin?"

"What? I told you to GO!"

"Hmph. Be patient. Please promise that you will do everything you can to try to come back."

Robin knew he was unlikely to come back, but he promised anyway.

"Okay, fine. I promise. Please go already!"

"Goodness, FINE! Have a nice day." Starfire was going to try to cheer him up with humor, since there was nothing else she could do.

Robin let himself laugh a little as she soared into the sky. _She tried hard. I may as well laugh like she wanted me to....._


	7. Chapter 7

Raven arrived in the titans' tower to see Layla's mom viciously punching and kicking Slade, with her daughter cheering her on. She was standing behind his head so he couldn't kick her.

_Nice __way to keep him from getting fully __conscious....._

"Umm........are there any more of you people? We could use you here..." Beasy Boy asked Layla.

Layla laughed. "Well, there's my dad, but the only thing he could help you with is if you got a heart attack," At their questioning faces, she added, "He's a cardiologist." Beast Boy still

looked puzzled, as his vocabulary was never very great. "A heart doctor. Treats tachycardia, heart attack, strokes, stuff like that." Cyborg went to Slade and tied him up while they were

talking.

Raven coughed. "Ahem. I think we'd like to hear what has happened down here......"

"Oh right, that. This weirdo walked in and tried to activate the defense system, the one thats supposed to turn on when you guys leave. It wasn't on when you left 'cause Robin turned it

off this morning. Anyway, I, um, jumped from the second floor and tried to hold him off with the curtain rod, and then my mom threw an explosive disk on him. And then I called Raven."

"It appears that sometimes all one needs is common sense and bravery. Without superpowers, you guys did good......I bet with powers you would---" Raven was cut off by Beast Boy.

"KICK MASSIVE BUTT!!" Layla looked annoyed. She never liked compliments. She had merely been 'using her brain', as she called it.

"Yes, that," Raven said exasperatingly, then added, "And did you two find Starfire? I told you not to come back unless you did."

"Yeah, actually she came out by herself, she won't tell us where she went, and now she's in her room. And oh, she says anyone to come in there will get a gigantic starbolt flown at him--

or her. She's not acting like her cheery self anymore either."

"I'm starting to think she went after Robin. It's what she would do." Layla arched an eyebrow. _Wouldn't it be foolish to go after someone who just attacked you?_

"I'll explain later, Layla. We need to find Robin. Split up. If he attacks any of you, call us---"

"Uh, Raven, what is that??" Layla was hearing something going in the wall, and then coming out, and then going in again and repeating the process.

"What?"

"The sound.......someone's climbing the wall.....ow, it's really loud!!" Layla was covering her ears now.

"What......Beast Boy, could you not turn into a dog right now.....oh, I hear it. It's pretty faint, Layla..." _Why on earth is she covering her ears.....? Never mind that._

"Beast Boy, turn back into yourself right now and go outside....Beast Boy, now would be really nice.....never mind, Cyborg you go..." Beast Boy was getting a cold and was shape shifting

from a mouse to an elephant over and over again.

Cyborg stuck his head in the door.

"It's Robin! He's climbing towards Starfire's room for some reason."

"Well, I can't fly up there, her windows are locked and I don't want to break them....." Raven ran into the elevator. A minute later, they heard her cry,

"Starfire's gone!! Wait-----"

"WHAT?? Robin kidnapped Starfire? Th--"

"I said 'wait'! She left with him on her own will..........look at this place."

Beast Boy whispered to Cyborg, "I don't see anything. What's she talking about?"

Layla heard him and pointed at the bed.

"I don't see anything..."

"She didn't try to stop him or anything, dimwit! She even opened the window to let him in!"

"Oh great.....now what?" Beast Boy scratched his head.

"You could try to use your brain and help, you know. Any day would be great..."

"I don't---" Suddenly they heard a scream from below, accompanied by what sounded like blasts of some sort. Raven ran to the star rail and looked down.

"Blackfire!!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Blackfire? Would someone please tell me what's going on???" Beast Boy mumbled as he jumped down the stairs and morphed into a bird.

Blackfire was hurling starbolts at Layla's mom, who had been reading more Arabic study books. Raven was shielding her with her dark powers, and Cyborg was trying to hit her with lasers.

Layla was feeling a little useless, as she could see she could do little against someone who could fly and fire starbolts. She decided to go upstairs and try to find out more about Starfire's

disappearance.

"Why are you here?" Raven said in a low, menacing voice.

"Now that would ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it? But where is my _little _sister? Wouldn't she be here helping her friends?"

"She's in her room at the moment. None of your business as to why." Raven hadn't seen Layla go into Starfire's room. She telekinetically picked up the couch and threw it at Blackfire.

Blackfire dodged it and tried to fly into Starfire's room, but was barred by more dark energy. Blackfire threw starbolts at it, which didn't have any effect.

"What do you want with her?"

"_That _is none of your business. But perhaps I should----" Raven lost her patience with Blackfire treating her like a little girl, and barricaded her inside Robin's room. She did not want her in Starfire's room, which had windows, unlike Robin's room.

She was surprised when Layla came out of Starfire's room saying,

"That was close..."

"I'm going to find Starfire," Raven sat in lotus position, then said "Azarath metrion zinthos!"

Layla watched as a black version of Raven shot out of her and went out the blasted-through door. She put on a calm face. She knew it would be explained eventually.

After a minute, Raven's projection shot back inside herself.

"She's with Robin. She wants to explain everything, but Robin doesn't want us hurt...." Raven tried to decide what to do. When Robin said something wasn't safe, it was definetely not.

"Well then, we're going. Where is he?" Beast Boy didn't care if he was in danger. Robin was his friend, and he was going to find him- no matter what Raven said.

Raven didn't respond and teleported them to a forest.


	9. Chapter 9

"Robin, please."

"No. I am not telling you. In fact, in about 30 minutes, I'm returning you to the tower."

"Please? Fine. How about....I tell you one of my secrets, and you tell me one of yours?"

Robin laughed a little. "You have secrets?"

"You think I don't? Think carefully." Robin remembered when Starfire had told him that half the time when she acted happy, she wasn't actually that happy. She had told him that she didn't

want anyone pitying her. _Pitying her for what?_

"Fine. You do. But I---" He stopped as a black portal appeared.

"Robin. What. Is. Going on." Robin did not wish to have a conversation on _what was going on_ again. He looked for a diversion.

"Uh----who's that?"

"Who? Oh, Layla. She's a friend of mine. And no, she doesn't have superpowers. But she is useful. In f---" Raven was cut off by Beast Boy _again._

"SHE KICKED SLADE----" Beast Boy was cut off by Layla, who didn't like getting praised for _using her brain_ again.

"Whatever. What's going on? Oh, and nice to meet you, Robin." Robin was feeling cornered and he gave in.

"Umm........this is a long story......"

"TELL US!!" Everyone screamed at him.

"Fine. Blackfire wants to kill Starfire--"

"That's not new, Robin." Beast Boy interrupted.

"Would you let him finish?" Raven intervened.

"She figured out what Brain did to Madame Rouge, and she wants to do the same to Starfire, so that Starfire can return to Tamaran and become a 'puppet queen' for her. You know, since

Blackfire's in exile."

"What about Slade?" Layla asked.

"Blackfire set up her hideout in Slade's old hideout building, and there was a bug in there--"

"ARE YOU BLAMING THIS ON A BUG?!" Beast Boy yelled at him.

Raven had had enough with Beast Boy. She covered his mouth with black energy.

"For the last time, _shut up._"

"Not that bug, an electronic bug. Listening device. Somehow, Blackfire found out about it and contacted Slade. They forced me to come out and help them when they threatened to kill you

guys. Slade kind of back-stabbed her and broke into titans' tower instead of kidnapping Starfire when we were fighting. Blackfire was busy testing the machine that would re----you

know, do what Brain did to Madame Rouge. Blackfire found out about Slade and decided to come to the tower herself. I went after Starfire and took her here, and she's been begging me

to tell her what's going on since then."

"She'll find you eventually. What are we supposed to do?" Raven asked. For once, she didn't have advice.

"Wait, before you do anything, I will fulfill my promise to Robin." Layla raised an eyebrow. It was sort of obvious something was going on between them.

"What promise?" Cyborg asked.

"I will tell him one of my secrets, as he has told his. My parents were murdered. By Blackfire. I should have died too, but Luand'r--my mom, jumped in front of me when Blackfire threw

knives at me. She screamed for Galfore and he took me away--" Starfire was on the verge of tears.

"Starfire, stop. And she didn't tell you guys cause she doesn't want anyone pitying her." Layla stared at Robin, hard. Something was going on between those two and she knew it.

"So, can we all go back and kick Blackfire's---" Cyborg began.

"Not you too. You want your mouth shut like Beast Boy's? Stop talking about kicking butt. Now. And Robin, we have Slade taken care of, and no, Cyborg, you are not going to tell the

whole story about it. For heaven's sake, _be quiet_."

"Raven's right. We need to go and break the machine NOW." Robin cut in, making the decision for all of them.

"Yes! Let's go!" Starfire seemed a little more cheerful now.

Raven sighed, uncovered Beast Boy's mouth, and teleported them to Slade's old hideout.


	10. Chapter 10

"Dude! This place looks so WEIRD!!!" There were CD's _everywhere._

"Beast Boy, _Blackfire_ lives here now, it's going to look weird. Stop talking. Now."

"Right," Robin ran a hand through his hair. He wondered how his team had gotten anything done without him. "The machine's in here."

Starfire followed him, feeling a little jealous of Blackfire, as usual. Robin had been living with her for the past week. She knew he hadn't wanted to, and he had left whenever possible, but

_still._

Layla had been thinking about Robin and Starfire since they had arrived. To her, it was so obvious they should be together. She liked both of them, too. her thoughts were interrupted when

she saw the machine. It was huge, and had been painted purple and black. _My favorite colors......this is Blackfire's machine, those must be her favorite colors too........I have something in _

_common with who seems to be Starfire's worst enemy?!_

"Here it is, you guys can kill it now."

"Come on man, you aren't going to help?"

"No...I'm sick of seeing it every day....and I have something else to do." Robin side-glanced at Starfire. Beast Boy opened his mouth to speak. Raven saw it coming and covered his mouth

with dark energy. "Don't you dare."

Cyborg aimed his cannon at the machine. As they set to destroying the machine, Layla saw Robin sneak out with Starfire. She was feeling useless....she could help break it, but she had

found something much more interesting to do. But she wasn't going to spy on them. She headed towards the bookcase, and picked out a few books on alien martial arts. She attempted

to distract her thoughts. It worked for a while. But she started feeling useless again. Maybe with the fighting she was useless. But maybe she could go talk to Robin and Starfire. She

tiptoed beside the door and listened to make sure she wasn't interrupting anything.

"Star, really I---come in Layla, I can hear you out there." Layla raised an eyebrow and came in.

"What is it, Layla? Is something wrong?" Starfire asked.

"What? You can tell something's wrong? I really _am _losing control. Oh God, this is bad, very---"

"I see we have something in common, Layla." Robin smiled. "We take ourselves way too seriously. You're only 12. It's okay. Isn't that right, Starfire?"

"Most definitely it is. But it is something I admire about you, Robin. I am sure I will admire Layla for it too."

Robin attempted to hide his blush and asked, "So, what is it, Layla?"

"I am feeling quite useless to the team, for I cannot fight. I think I might have to leave.....which I don't want, because somehow, I like it here. You guys don't walk around interviewing me

cause I'm mysterious, and you aren't all boring stereotypes either."

"I don't want you to leave! Robin, tell her she can stay! Please!"

"You can stay, Layla. We'll give you your own room and everything."

"Thank you!" Starfire and Layla burst out at the same time.

"Now, Layla. I do not believe you are useless to the team. As a fighter, maybe. But you have other skills. I can tell. Come on, what can you do?"

"Um......I like to learn languages, I am learning how to decrypt, and......I can't remember everything here. Can I tell you my weaknesses instead? I remember those."

"Yeah you can. You _are _a lot like me."

"No, I'm not. I'm not a good leader. I can't drive, can't remember directions, lose my wit a lot, can't flip over, am sometimes sensitive to dark magic, I am generally not a good multitasker,

and I don't like fighting very much, and I sort of have to keep my emotions under control. That's the basic problems."

"That's fine. You don't have to be a good fighter to be a titan."

"You don't?" Layla looked up.

"No. You just have to want to learn and want to do good." Beast Boy burst into the room.

"Dude, can I join the party!?"

"Beast Boy, does this look like a party to you? Robin wouldn't be seen dead at one." Raven stared at him.

"True......"

Robin stood up. "Come on guys, let's go home."

Raven teleported them into the tower.


End file.
